1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for making a lithographic printing plate and a lithographic printing plate.
2. Description of Related Art
In a process for making a lithographic printing plate, after the exposure, a step of removing unnecessary image recording layer by dissolving, for example, with a developer is required, but from the viewpoint of the environment and safety carrying out, processing with a developer that is closer to neutral is desired. In particular, since in recent years the disposal of liquid waste discharged accompanying wet treatment has become a great concern throughout the industrial world from the viewpoint of consideration for the global environment.
On the other hand, digitization techniques involving electronically processing, storing, and outputting image information by computer have been widespread in recent years, and various new image output methods responding to such digitization techniques have been put into practical use. Accompanying this, a computer-to-plate (CTP) technique has been attracting attention in which digitized image information is carried on a highly convergent radiant ray such as laser light and a lithographic printing plate precursor is scan-exposed by this light to directly produce a lithographic printing plate without intervention of a lith film. A lithographic printing plate precursor for CTP is described in JP-A-H11-218914 (JP-A denotes a Japanese unexamined patent application publication) and JP-A-2003-84430.